This past Wednesday after my Russian class, we hopped on the metro and headed towards Nevsky Prospekt. We had been given an informal downtown tour on the metro a few days before, so we have become more adjusted to the type of travel in Russia via metro (i.e. the metro is dead quiet and people stare at you unflinchingly). After a few stops we got off at the one for the Hermitage; it is B E A U T I F U L. Massive, mint green, and decorated with the baroque style as usual, its very impressive!! Because it is so big, we took a tour that only showed us a few of the main rooms and it still took two hours. I was stunned by the artwork thats displayed in the museum. It contains pieces by Rembrandt, da Vinci, Michelangelo, and many more famous painters and sculptors. It doesn't feel real being able to get so close to the pieces and see all the detail put into them. It made me realize why they are called the masters in their area. I've always appreciated art, but wow.. it's just so much more spectacular in person. Especially the sculptures. They really get to me. It blows my mind that people are able to take such a solid object like marble and make it look real. I've attached a gallery below of all the pictures I took. Unfortunately I forgot my Canon because I was going straight from class but I'll be back and take better pictures.